Socket primarily for radio tubes and the like



NOV. 2, 1948." JACKSON SOCKETS PRIMARILY FOR RADIO TUBES AND THE-LIKEFiled April 4, '1945 Inventor ha/d Jackson Attorney Patented Nov. 2,1948 v UNITED STATES 1 company ApplicationAprile, 1945, Serial N 0.586,608 V In Great Britain April 1,1944 i This invention relates todevices of the character primarily designed as sockets for radio tubesand the like, although such devices and devices of similar character arealso often used as sockets for coils, condensers and other electricalequipment. i

An object of this invention is the provision of a socket structurehaving. novel means for supporting the contact elements therein,facilitating assembly of the socket and combining other useful functionsand advantages. i 1

A further object of this invention" is to provide a socket having anovel and. improved structure rendering the contacts thereofself-aligning.

A further object of this invention is the pro--' vision of a mode ofconstruction which is especially advantageous for the manufacture andassembly of miniaturetypes of radio tube-sockets.

A further object of this invention is' a novel andimproved method andmeans for assembling and self-locating the contact elements of a socket.r

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter. l

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and in the several stepsand relation and order of each of the same to one or more of the others,all as will be illustratively described herein, and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claims. i

In the drawin Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively top and bottom plan viewsof one embodiment of socket exemplifying the invention. r i

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-4 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the socket inverted, certain partshaving been removed and others being shown in section and broken awayfor the purpose of illustration.

The socket construction illustrated in the drawing is especiallysuitable for the manufactureof miniature types of tube sockets (forinstance; of about A" in diameter) such as are required for miniatureradio tubes. However, the structure may, of course, also be employed forlarger sockets. In the illustrated socket; the contact elements thereof,generally designated B, are individually carried by a setofcomplementary segments 210" 7 Claims. (Cl; 173-323) ofinsulatingum'aterialwhich are assembled side by side. together in aclosedpircu-lar array to producea composite mountorcarrier body of insuwlationzof circular plate form. The individual segments 72 Himaybe madeas mouldings :of synthetic resin or like plastic material 'or of ceramicmaterial. The socket shown" has eightsimilar segments, seven of whichcarry contact elements t'he eighth or blank segment being without acontact element. This arrangement is provided to obtain 15 provided inplace of the blank segment and the.

adjacent one on the left as viewedin'Fig. 1. Each contact-carryingsegment 2H! carriesits contact elementbililfi in a recess 2201 in oneside of'jthe segment, the contact element being introduced sideways intothe recess 220 and being retained thereinby the adjacent unrecessedlsideflll o'f the next segment in the assembly, which thus in effect closesthe recessed side of the. preceding segment, as will be .clearly seen inthejdrawing.

ratively, as seen more clearlyin Figs. 3 and '4, the

recess 22-8111 the side of eachcontact-carryin segment 2-! ii; is shownas beingsh'aped toprovide anupper'enlarged portion 22! adj acent theupper 40 passes to project from the bottom of the segment.

.Therestricted portion 222 of the recess 226 has. a local enlargement2231 therein which receives a complementary enlargement or projection203 formed intermediately on the terminal portion 2m. Sucha contactelement may be formed in one piece from a short lengthof metal strip,rcr

OFF'IIC E- The contact elements may be of any suitable 292 of thecontactelement zen; thus preventing the contact element, after it islaterallyintreduced into the recess 220-, frombeing drawnout eithervfrom the top orfrom the bottom offthe segment I wise shaped, such as inthe manner depicted, so

as to provide points of line contact ensuring efiective conductiveengagement with the cooperating pin or prong. The strip is also suitablyshaped to form the enlargement 203, and the doubled end 202 thereofserves as a terminal tag for effecting connection of a conductor to thecontact element. The doubled terminal portion 202 may be opened out intoa loop, as illustrated, for facilitating such connection, or it may benotched or perforated for the same purpose.

The segments 2I0, with contact elements mounted therein as described,are assembled in a supporting and retaining member which is shown as inthe form of a metallic ring generally designated I00, of suitablematerial such as tinned steel which is provided with ears IOI piercedwith holes I02 for mounting the completed socket, for example on a radiochassis. The ring I00 is formed at its upper end with aperipheral beadI03 and an inturned flange I04, providing an annular internal groove I05to receive a complementary peripheral bead 2I2 on the upper end of eachsegment 2) and adjacent a shoulder 2I3 which is adapted to receive theflange I04 of i the ring I00. Each segment 2| 0 has, below its bead 2I2,'a cylindrical face portion 2 I4 conforming substantially withthecorresponding straight portion I06 of the ring I00. 1 Below the portion2I4' the face 2I5 on each segment 2I0 may be tapered conically, asshown.

On assembly, each contact-carrying segment 2I0 -'is inserted into thering I00 to bring its peripheral bead 2I2 into the groove I05 of thering. For enabling such insertion to be carried out with all thesegments 2I0, it will be apparent that the individual segments, ifassembled close together, must occupy less area than that of theinteriorof the ring so that there will be enough space to introduce allthe segments into the ring in the manner described. This will be clearfrom the inspection ofFig. 4 where one of the segments 2I0 is shown inpartially inserted position just prior to its bead 2I2 being broughtalongside and into. the groove I5. Thus, after insertion of all thesegments 2), they will be loose in the ring I00. A suitable fixingelement can then be introduced into the residual space left afterbringing the beads 2 I 2 of the segments into interlocking engagementwith'the groove I05 of the ring, so as to maintain such engagement andprevent the segments from being removed or dropping out fromthe ring.For this purpose, the segments 2I0 are shaped so that when assembledtogether they form a central hole 320 through the assembly, in which asuitable headed fastener may be inserted. The fastener is shown as ametal rivet 330 inserted through the hole 320 from the faceor upper sideof the socket, the lower end 33 I of the rivet 330 being swaged over awasher 332 on which can rest the inner portions of the bottom faces ofthe segments 2I0. The rivet 330 is of smaller diameter than that of thehole 320 was to retainthe assembly of segments in the ring I00 in such amanner that the segments individually are still loose to a slight extentso that each has'a limited degree of free movement substantially in alldirections, so enabling the contact elements 200 carried thereby to beindividually self-aligning. That is to say, when the contact pins orprongs on a radio tube base or other device are plugged into the socket,the looseness of the segments 2I0 permits each contact element 200 toadjust itself automatically into substantial alignment with the entrypin or prong. The contact elements 200 may also be slightly looselyfixed in their carrier segments 2I0, thus providing additional meansassisting their self-,

alignment.

As well as providing a means of rendering the contact elementsself-aligning, another advantage of employing discrete segments for thecontaet elements is that it simplifies manufacture andlassembly of thesocket, and especially the fixing of the contact elements, since thesecan be more easily fixed each in the individual segments which arethereafter assembled, than if all the contact elements were inserted andfixed in a one-piece body equivalent to the segment assembly. This isparticularly advantageous with miniature types of tube sockets where thecontact elements are even closer together than in the larger sockets. Afurther advantage of the. segmental mode of construction is that it veryreadily enables effective. electrostatic screening to be providedbetween adjacent contact elements or groups of contact elements,according to requirements, so enabling the screening between the inputand output circuits and electrodes of radio tubes and their externalcircuits to be completed, in a simple and effective manner, by: merelyproviding a screening partition or partitions between the-appropriatesegments carrying the contact elements that desirably are to beelectrostatically screened from one another.

In order to locate the segment assembly in proper orientation in thering I0 and to prevent rotational displacement of the assembly therein,any suitable locating means may be employed, as for instance,interlocking projections. and recesses in the segments and supportingring. However, in the embodiment shown this location is accomplished bymeans of a metallic screen 300 provided for electrostatically shieldingcertain contact elements of the socket fromothers'. This screen-380extends diametrically across the segmentassembly, the central portion ofthe screen 380 skirting around the hole 320 S0 as-not to foul the rivet330. The ends of the screen 380 are provided with lugs 38I which projectthroughhaustive, sincemany modifications may be made thereof andconstructional details varied thereina Therefore, the invention is notto be regarded as limited in'its broadest aspects to any of the specificdetails hereinbefore described and illustrated, butonly by the scope ofthe appended claims. v

- Iclaim:

1. In a socket, a

tary segments of insulation, at least some of said segments each havingin one side thereof a 1011- gitudinal recess extending between oppositefaces.

skilled in the art composite insulating bodycomposedof juxtaposedindividual complemenof thevwsegment, said recess-comprising a mainwidenportion extending fromone of saidifaces of the segmentandcommunicating withra narrower portion extending to 'the other ofsaidxfa'ces of the segment, a plurality oi contact elementsaccommodatedin said wider portion of its recess and a narrowerterminafportion, part of which adjacent, said tongues is, arrangedwithin said narrower portion of said recessandzthe remainder of whichterminal portion extends from the narrower end of said recess so as toproject from the adjacent face of the segment, each contact elementbeing held against longitudinal displacement in itsrecess and furtherbeing held against lateral displacement from its recess bythe adjacentside of the adjoining insulating segment in the assembly, and meansembracing said insulating segments to hold them in assembled relation.

2. In a socket, an insulating body comprising an assembly of juxtaposedindividual complementary segments of insulation at least some of saidsegments each having in one side thereof a longitudinal recess extendingbetween opposite faces of the segment, said recess comprising a mainWider portion extending from one of said faces of the segment andcommunicating with a narrower portion extending to the other of saidfaces of the segment, aplurality of contact elements housed one in eachof said recesses and each comprisinga pair of spaced pin receivingtongues accommodated in said wider portion of its recess and a narrowerterminal portion, part i of which adjacent said tongues is arrangedwithin said narrower portion of said recess and the remainder of whichterminal portion extends from the narrower end of said recess so as toproject from the adjacent face of the segment, each contact elementbeing held against longitudinal displacement in its recess and furtherbeing held against lateral displacement from its recess by the adjacentside of the adjoining segment in the assembly, a support having anannular portion loosely embracing said segmental body and exteriorlyinterengaging with peripheral portions of said segments for supportingthe same, said segment assembly including a member surrounded by saidsegments and engaging the same to hold the segments against peripheraldisengagement from said annular portion of said support. i

3. In a socket, a rigid support ring, a composite disc-like insulatingbody arranged within and supported by said ring and comprising a looseassembly of individual complementary segments of insulation, a pluralityof said segments each having in one side thereof a recess extendingbetween opposite faces of the segment and each carrying an individualcontact element held in said recess to move bodily with the segment, therecess in each segment being closed by the adjacent side of theadjoining segment in the assembly, the segments exteriorly havingperipheral means having interlocking engagement with said ring forholding the segments against axial displacement, the segment assemblyhaving a substantially central axial aperture defined by innerperipheral walls of the segments, and a loose retainer member axiallyarranged within said aperture and supported by the inner peripheralportions of said segments to loosely hold the segbetween saidsupportring and sald retainerrhem:

4. A socket structure as defined in: claim-v3; whereinsaid retainermember comprises a loose rivet extending through said aperture andhaving headed ends overlying the opposite faces of the innerperipheralportions of the segments;

5. In a socket, a rigid support ring, a composite disc-likeinsulatingsbody arranged loosely Within said ring and composed of anassembly of individualoomplementary segments of insulation 'a,

bl" having an axial aperture extending substantially centrally throughsaid assembly and defined by inner peripheral walls of the segments, aloose r retainer member axially arranged Within said aperture andsupported by the inner peripheral,

portions of said segments to loosely hold thesegmerits againstdisengagement from said ring while allowing each segment a limitedfreedom of independent movement in the annular space between saidsupport rin and said retainer member, and means to hold the segmentassembly against rotational bodily displacement within said ring.

6. A contact unit for a socket structure, comprising an insulator ofcircular segmental shape having in one radial side thereof a recessextending between opposite faces of the segment, the

other radial side being unrecessed, said recess having a main widerportion extending from one of said faces and communicating with anarrower portion extending to the other of said faces, said narrowerportion having a local enlargement,

and a contact element secured in said recess comprising a pair of spacedpin-receivlng tongues accommodated in said wider portion of said recessand a narrower terminal portion, part of which adjacent said tongues isarranged within said narrower portion of said recess and is providedwith an enlargement corresponding to and registering with theenlargement in said recess, and

the remainder of which terminaljportion extends from the narrower end ofsaid recess so as to project from the adjacent face of the segment.

"7. In a socket, a support member having an aperture therein, acomposite insulating body arranged within said aperture and supported bysaid member and comp-rising a loose assembly of juxtaposed individualcomplementary segments of insulation, a series of contact elements eachi mounted within an individual segment to move bodily therewith, saidsegments exteriorly having peripheral means having interlocking engagetions of said segments whereby said retainer member is supported by saidinner peripheral portions of said segments to loosely hold said segmentsagainst disengagement from said support member while allowing eachsegment a limited freedom of indefiendent movement in the annular spacebetween said support member and said retainer member.

DONALD JACKSON.

I REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,169,314

Zannoth et a1 Jan. 25, 1916 Number 10 Number Great Britain 1 1926

